CHAPTER 110:  CABLE TELEVISION
Section
General Provisions
   110.001   Title and purpose
   110.002   Definitions
   110.003   Operation prohibited except by franchise
   110.004   Request for proposal; form
   110.005   Severability
Franchise Agreement
   110.020   Non-exclusive right
   110.021   Franchisee acknowledgments
   110.022   Contract duration
   110.023   Effect at termination of contract
   110.024   Termination by expiration of contract
   110.025   Right of revocation reserved
   110.026   Foreclosure; appointment of trustee or receiver
   110.027   Transfer of effective ownership or control
   110.028   Continuation of service
   110.029   System sale upon revocation or non-renewal
   110.030   Review sessions
Franchise Service Area
   110.045   General extension of service
   110.046   Service outside corporate limits
   110.047   Special service areas
Payments By Franchisee
   110.060   Reimbursements
   110.061   Compensation
Design and Construction
   110.075   Emergency override; standby power
   110.076   System standards; signal carriage; channel access
   110.077   FCC certificate of compliance
   110.078   Construction in workmanlike manner
   110.079   Existing pole and conduit usage
   110.080   Temporary or permanent changes
   110.081   Authority to order post-construction improvements
   110.082   Minimum aboveground clearance compliance
   110.083   Interference with property rights or fixtures prohibited; maps and records required
   110.084   Underground installations
   110.085   Unauthorized equipment; connection prohibited
Business Operations
   110.100   Current technology required
   110.101   Office hours; staffing
   110.102   Service repair
   110.103   Complaints
   110.104   Prohibition of sale or service of parts or accessories; antenna and equipment
   110.105   Books and records required
   110.106   Permits, authorizations; FCC certificate of convenience and necessity
   110.107   Documents submitted to County Manager
   110.108   Reports
   110.109   Full legal compliance
Rates and Charges
   110.120   General provisions
   110.121   Initial rates and charges; adjustments
   110.122   Refunds
   110.123   Advance payments; installation and reconnection charge
   110.124   State, federal regulation
   110.125   Public buildings, facilities
   110.126   Public access programming charges
Franchise Agreement Administration
   110.140   Limitation of franchisee recourse
   110.141   Franchisee obligation continuing
   110.142   Indemnification of town
   110.143   Insurance
   110.144   Performance bond; deposit in lieu of
   110.145   Reservation of rights by town
   110.146   Franchisee right to appeal
   110.147   Subscriber list use prohibited
   110.148   Right of privacy
   110.149   Non-discriminatory practices
   110.150   Individual right to appeal
   110.151   Optional regulatory commission; Town Administrator/Town Clerk duties
 
   110.999   Penalty
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 110.001  TITLE AND PURPOSE.
   (A)   This chapter shall be known as the “Landis Cable Television Ordinance”.
(Prior Code, § 4.1-1)
   (B)   It is the purpose and intent of this chapter to provide for the town a cable television system which will serve present and future needs of the citizens and general public of the town, government, public institutions, commercial enterprises and lawful public and private organizations. The system, in its establishment, construction, operation, maintenance and regulation, shall be subject to and in compliance with the terms contained in this chapter and the franchise agreement referred to herein and all pertinent laws, rules, regulations, orders and policies of the Federal Communications Commission, the state, the town and all governmental agencies having jurisdiction over the same.
(Prior Code, § 4.1-2)  (Ord. passed 9-19-1979)
§ 110.002  DEFINITIONS.
   For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section, provided, that unless the franchise agreement otherwise requires or a different definition appears below, the terms used in this chapter shall have the meanings ascribed to them in applicable regulations of the Federal Communications Commission.
   ACCESS CHANNELS.  Those channels required by Federal Communications Commission regulations which, by the terms of this chapter or the franchise agreement, are required to be kept available by the franchisee for partial or total dedication to public access, educational access, local government access or leased access.
   CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEM.  Any system which operates for hire the service of receiving and amplifying programs broadcast by one or more television and/or radio stations and any other programs originated by a cable television company or by another party and distributing the programs by wire, cable, microwave or other means to persons who subscribe to the service. The definition does not include:
      (1)   Any system which serves fewer than 50 subscribers; or
      (2)   Any system which serves only the residents of one or more apartment dwellings under common ownership, control or management and any commercial establishment located on the premises of the apartment complex and any hotel or motel complex and any condominium development and which transmits only signals broadcast over the air by stations which may be normally viewed or heard locally without objectionable interference and which does not provide any additional service over its facilities.
   CONVERTER.  An electronic device, used at a subscriber’s terminal, which converts signals to a frequency not susceptible to interference and distortion within the television receiver of a subscriber and which, by an appropriate channel selector, also permits a subscriber to view all delivered signals at designated dial locations.
   FCC REGULATIONS.  The present and future valid rules and regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and applicable to cable systems, presently in force or as hereafter amended.
   FRANCHISE and FRANCHISE AGREEMENT.  Authorization granted pursuant to the terms of this chapter to construct, operate and maintain a cable television system within all or a specified area of the town. The FRANCHISE shall be granted in the form of a franchise agreement, which is separate and distinct from any license or permit required for the franchise ordinance, and, together with this chapter, shall contain the terms and conditions upon which a cable television system may be operated in the town and the privilege of transacting and carrying on a business within the town as required by other ordinances and laws of the town.
   FRANCHISE AREA.  All of the town outside of the corporate limits of any city; provided, that no service shall be required to be delivered to subscribers who reside in areas not having at least 50 residential units per cable mile for the first year of the franchise and 45 residential units per cable mile thereafter, according to the schedule in § 110.045(B).
   FRANCHISEE.  The person granted a franchise by the Board of Alderpersons under this chapter and the lawful successor, transferee or assignee of the person.
   GROSS RECEIPTS.  Any and all compensations in whatever form, grant, subsidy, exchange or otherwise, directly or indirectly received by a franchisee, not including any taxes on services furnished by the franchisee, imposed directly on any subscriber or user by a city, county, state or other governmental unit and collected by the franchisee for the entity.
   MONITORING.  Observing a one-way communications signal or the absence of a signal, where the observer is neither the subscriber nor the programmer, whether the signal is observed by visual or electronic means for any purposes whatsoever.
   PROGRAMMER.  Any person who or which produces or otherwise provides program material for transmission by video, audio, digital or other signals, either live or from recorded tapes, to subscribers by means of the cable television system.
   PROPERTY OF FRANCHISEE.  All property owned, installed or used within the town by a franchisee in the conduct of a cable television system business under the authority of a franchise granted pursuant to this chapter.
   SERVICE, BASIC. The total of the following:
      (1)   The transmission of all broadcast radio and video channel signals provided for in this chapter to subscriber terminals;
      (2)   The transmission of the public, educational, local government and leased access channel signals;
      (3)   The transmission of the local origination channel signals;
      (4)   The transmission of the other cablecast channel signals as are required by the FCC to match the number of broadcast channel signals being transmitted;
      (5)   The installation and reconnection of subscriber service outlets;
      (6)   Transmission of color television signals which it receives in color; and
      (7)   All broadcast signals which may be carried pursuant to the applicable federal regulations.
   SERVICE,  NONBASIC.  Any communications service other than basic service provided over its system by the franchisee directly or as a carrier for its subsidiaries, affiliates or any other person engaged in communications.
   STREET.  The surface of and the space above and below any public street, right-of-way, highway, freeway, bridge, lane, path, alley, court, sidewalk, parkway, drive or communications or utility easement, now or hereafter existing as within the franchise area.
   SUBSCRIBER OR USER.  Any person or entity receiving for any purpose any service of the franchisee’s cable television system, including, but not limited to, the conventional cable television system service of retransmission of television broadcasts, radio signals, the franchisee’s original cablecasting and the local government, education and public access channels and other services as leasing of channels, data and facsimile transmission, pay television and police, fire and similar public service communication.
   SUBSCRIBER SERVICE DROP.  The extension wiring from the franchisee’s distribution lines to a subscriber’s building.
   TAPPING.  Observing a two-way communications signal exchange, where the observer is neither of the communicating parties, whether the communications signal exchange is observed by visual or electronic means for any purpose whatsoever.
   TOWN ADMINISTRATOR/TOWN CLERK.  The town’s chief administrative officer or any designee thereof.
(Prior Code, § 4.1-3)  (Ord. passed 9-19-1979)
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